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SpeakBeasty: A Fantastic Beasts Podcast

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SpeakBeasty: A Fantastic Beasts Podcast
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Now displaying: 2019
Dec 29, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...

  • Join Aureo, Ann, Jennifer, and Marjolaine for the last episode for the year!
  • We’ve recorded this before Christmas, but we’ve already started eating. 
  • “Thank you Marjolaine for putting us on the spot.”
  • Our favorite Beasty moments of the year! 
  • “Big Percy Energy.”
  • Shannen visits to talk to us about the JKR Twitter controversy. 
  • Phoenix Register: The new HP/Beasts knitting magazine is a thing of beauty. 
  • Main Discussion: Prophecies and visions!
  • “She was essentially high all the time.”
  • Grindelwald just accidentally poked himself in the eye. “Constant vigilance!”
  • "I don't think a strong French accent would suit Trelawney."
  • We as readers are taught not to take Divination seriously. 
  • Time Turner: New Year’s food traditions from around the globe!
  • Podcast Question: Do you think the vision Grindelwald hints at will become more relevant in the future?
Dec 15, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...

  • Michael's back, y'all!
  • “Woo! I am awkward.”
  • Phoenix Register: We finally got our Christmas album!
  • It’s too cold for owls.
  • Main Discussion: Steve Kloves is coming back as a screenwriter for the next Fantastic Beasts film.
  • “F’ that noise.”
  • If you want JKR to trust you, tell her Hermione is your favorite character.
  • “I’m really busy right now writing these Harry Potter novels.”
  • "She's totally listening." 
  • The Newt Case: The Augurey!

Podcast Question: Will Kloves struggle or strive with the fact that there’s no source material (aka novels) to work from? 

Dec 1, 2019
  • Spoiler alert - we’re still Fantastic.
  • “That’s news I’ve known for half a year, but…congrats.”
  • “We’re just going to be brutally honest.”
  • “No more McGonagallgates.”
  • Take care of the props!!!
  • We welcome the lovely Poppy Corby-Tuech, who played Vinda Rosier!
  • “We were all kept in the dark.”
  • “I think it was just tea served in a really aggressive teapot.”
  • We are all on board for expanding the relationship between Vinda and Queenie.
  • “The dark side has the best looks.”
  • “It gives you an economy of movement.”
  • “I think that often when things are in chaos, people will dress really well.”
  • “100 years in the future when they do films about this era, everyone will just be in sweatpants.”
  • Vinda probably needs a bit of a holiday.
  • Time Turner: Fascism in France!
Nov 17, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty

  • In case you couldn’t tell, we are celebrating our 100th episode! As a celebration, we will be traveling around the globe to talk to all of our past and present team members.
  • “Hopefully without any concussions involved.”
  • We didn’t get Richard Ayoade, but we did get Jude Law.
  • “Maybe the real Fantastic Beasts were the friends we made along the way.”
  • “That was one of the coolest days of my human life.”
  • “We built this podcast on rock and roll.”
  • Slytherins and Hufflepuffs make great teams.
  • “Everything comes back to SpeakBeasty.”
  • “If I didn’t cry, it wouldn’t be real.”
  • “The best part of growing up with Harry Potter is the theorizing.”
  • “Everyone is everywhere.”
  • “It really does have that magical kind of feel to it – it doesn’t matter where you are, it just takes you away.”
  • “I always end up laughing when I’m recording.”
  • “My favorite part of these movies is ripping them apart afterwards.”
  • We still miss Colin Farrell.
  • Younger siblings are a pain, confirmed.
  • “I didn’t expect to appreciate a new story in the Wizarding World quite so much.”
  • “I could’ve had a whole 2-hour film of just him tending to his creatures.”
  • Meet our lovely social media team!
  • “They’ve had two films and they haven’t kissed yet, so I keep making it happen.”
  • “We want that book! Or five!”
  • “I’m trying to avoid the Cursed Child of it all.”
  • “The theorizing machine came to life again.”
  • “I thought you guys were going to cut it out – nope. It became the title of the episode.”
  • “I also fixed the internet, so you’re welcome world.”
  • “It’s a podcast for dogs.”
  • “Dumbledore keeps the lights on in here.”
  • Thank you for 100 episodes, Beasties! Here's to many more!
Nov 4, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...

  • It's a tri-lingual episode with Aureo, Marjolaine, and Shannen!
  • The Phoenix Register: We think filming starts in February? Maybe? Also, a universe is apparently bigger than a world. 
  • "It's way too expensive and we don't want it." 
  • Owl Post: Leta's mental health struggles are not something Newt is equipped to deal with. 
  • Main Discussion: Marjolaine takes us through what she found out from her Q&A with Brontis Jodorowski, who played Nicolas Flamel!
  • "That's why we felt so bad after the movie - because we didn't have Nicolas Flamel giving us croissants." 
  • "We are the perfect and only Fantastic Beasts podcast."
  • How was Flamel's pursuit of immortality different than Voldemort's and Grindelwald's?
  • “Yo - a wind could blow you away. Shut up.”
  • "We had too many women already."
  • "The Wizarding World, where they still use owls in the 90's and don't have phones." 
  • The Newt Case: The Erkling!

Podcast Question: Do you think Nicolas Flamel and/or alchemy will play a bigger role in future movies? 

Oct 20, 2019
  • Welcome to SpookBeasty!
  • Owl Post: Is Tina secretly following her own leads without approval? Was that postcard really from Tina? 
  • "I mean... magic." 
  • "We have a lot of questions about Leta."  
  • Did Grindelwald's blue flames actually kill people, or did they just imprison them? 
  • "I do not want her to be framed for Newt's man pain." 
  • Does Leta's death help or hinder Grindelwald in any way?
  • "Just go buy another hookah - they have them in the Halloween section at Target."
  • "Newt is the slow burn." 
  • "Her entire existence is just one big fail of the Bechdel test." 
  • "I think we've all had those moments, we just haven't swapped babies because of it." 
  • "Why are all these people dying before I can kill them?" 
  • The Time Turner: Le Theatre de Grand-Guignol!

Podcast Question: Do you feel Leta’s story was fully-fleshed out, or was she short-changed for the purpose of Newt and Theseus’s own stories?

Oct 6, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty:

  • Welcome back Jennifer!
  • The Phoenix Register: Mina Lima wallpaper (#drool), Interactive Merchandise (screaming mandrakes, bendable Cornish Pixies, Dobby, etc.), and the Wizarding World app...over or underwhelmed?
  • Owl Post: Response to Episode 95’s podcast question from our own host Ann Lysy!
  • Marjolaine’s interview with William Nadylam- Yusuf Kama!
  • Including- his thoughts on his character, Yusuf Kama, the Potterverse as a whole, the Golden Trio of David Heyman, David Yates, and Jo Rowling, the multifaceted idea of global acting, and his thoughts on Dan Fogler, Eddie Redmayne, and Ezra Miller.
  • Also, Marjolaine translates main points of the interview with William Nadylam and Brontis Jodorowsky (Nicolas Flamel), and ends the translation with a few painful anecdotes: “I saw it coming,” and “This one has my blood on it, so it’s now truly magical.”
  • William NAMES TWO BABY NIFFLERS. His reasonings are simply adorable, and incredibly thought-provoking.

Podcast Question: Would you like to see Yusuf Kama in Fantastic Beasts 3, and what do you think his role could be in future movies?

 

Sep 22, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...

  • Hosts Amy, Helene, Lizzie, and Megan welcome back very special guest, Dan Fogler!
  • We learn about Squolphins, the newest Fantastic Beast, and also the baked ziti to end all baked ziti’s.
  • “I’m very heterosexual, but that man has very hypnotic, kryptonian, crystalline blue eyeballs.”
  • Next time you talk to Jude Law, ask him to sing you a sea shanty.
  • Owl Post: How many red herrings is too many red herrings?
  • “When you’re acting these scenes, you call upon past relationships where you really wanted things to work out and they didn’t - it’s just so hard.”
  • "Hold on, hold on, wait. I'm Corvus?"
  • Capybaras are not the same as Chupacabras.
  • "It's amazing to be able to continue a character and grow with it - it's like a living entity." 
  • "I'm gonna be nifflin' right next to ya." 
  • Kowalski's Korner: Check out Dan Fogler's 4D XPerience Podcast! Also find Dan at LeakyCon Boston and NYCC. 
Sep 9, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...

  • Hosts Ariel and Julianna officially welcome new host, Craig!
  • We have a male librarian niche on this show.
  • Jen and Sam were featured in a Pottermore #BacktoHogwarts video!
  • “Sorry I killed your baby.”
  • “My wee little Puff heart!”
  • Main Discussion: Sacrificial love magic!
  • “Yes, but I meant to.”
  • RIP Barb
  • Did Harry actually love everyone fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts?
  • #SaveRomilda
  • The Time Turner: Love magic!

Podcast Question: What do you make of Leta’s death? Do you think it enacted any sort of sacrificial protection for Newt and Theseus? Is there more to it?

Aug 25, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...

  • Amy and Megan officially welcome Julianna to the team!
  • We love a good meme on this team.
  • The Phoenix Register: The new Wizarding World app!
  • Owl Post: What it means to be someone with autism, and the possibility that Antonio’s untimely death was necessary character development.
  • Main Discussion: Murdering babies and siblings!
  • Megan puts her Aureo hat on.
  • Children are innocent and we have an instinctual need to protect them.
  • “That’s what I’ve always wanted from a husband!”
  • “He did not do a great job.”
  • “Rat brains are really small, so.”
  • “I remember when the first Fantastic Beasts came out. I still had all my teeth.”
  • “Dead babies. The end.”
  • The Newt Case: The Bundium!

Podcast Question: Whose baby murdering do you feel was worse - Grindelwald or Voldemort?

Aug 11, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...

  • Aureo and Megan welcome new hosts, Ann and Helene!
  • The Phoenix Register: San Diego Comic Con!
  • Please give us the Christmas album, thank you.
  • Owl Post: Let the characters stand on their own!
  • Main Discussion: Aurelius Dumbledore
  • “What is Xenophilius Lovegood wearing? He looks like an omelet.”
  • We’re starting a support group for Aberforth.
  • Who is Marcus Aurelius and why is he here?
  • We discuss the “Obscurial Transfer” theory – can a parasite live without a host?
  • “You’re mad because it makes a little bit of sense.”
  • Check out our timeline on the site!
  • The big question: is Grindelwald lying?
  • The Time Turner: Coco Chanel’s life through 1927. 

Podcast Question: Do you think Grindelwald is lying? If not, how do you think he found out that Credence is a Dumbledore? 

Jul 28, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty:

→ Welcome back Aaron, the grand-pappy of SpeakBeasty!
→ “Maybe the real beast was humanity.”
→ Go see Aaron in the West Coast premiere of Puffs!
→ It's a lot of days, you guys. 
Owl Post: Biologists are just as wild as wizards. Also, Sal is the MVP.
Main Discussion: We're gonna talk about beasts!
→ "Where did he come from, where did he go?" 
→ Was it necessary to see Grindelwald throw Antonio? 
→ WHAT 👏 WAS 👏 THE 👏 POINT 👏OF 👏THE 👏 BABY 👏 NIFFLERS?
→ Were there ways to better work in the beasts to the existing plot?
→ The Newt Case: Ahui Zodl!

Podcast Question: Which beast do you want to see more of in future movies?

 
Jul 14, 2019

Join hosts Amy, Lizzie, and Michael, as well as special guest, Mike Schubert of Potterless

→ Check out Potterless for a non-rose-tinted-glasses approach to the Potter series with no previous nostalgia.
→ Don’t be racist! 
Phoenix Register: Amy and Lizzie waited 8 hours to ride the new Hagrid coaster. 
Owl Post: Representation, it’s not that hard! 
→ Idris Elba as Grindelwald? Yes please. 
Main Discussion: Has Fantastic Beasts enticed an new generation of people to explore Potter? What are some similarities and differences between the characters?
→ “The real beasts are the friends we made along the way”
→ “Oh no - he hasn’t seen the sequel.”
→ Is Filch Gunther or Mr. Heckles?
→ “Hagrid is gorgeous, how dare you.”
→ Does Fantastic Beasts stand alone as a series or can you only enjoy it after you’ve read Harry Potter?
Time Turner: The Potter family! 
→ “Sorry Grandma, your last name is Fleamont, so...”
→ “The Confundables are so confounding.”
→ What’s on the horizon for Potterless
→ We say goodbye to our dear friend and host, Michael, as he moves on to pursue other adventures. 

Podcast question: Is Fantastic Beasts using Harry Potter to keep its audience captivated, and if so, how?

Jul 1, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty:

→ Welcome to two special guests, Marjolaine and Julianna!
The Phoenix Register: Wizards Unite has arrived!
→ The non-English speaking countries deserve better.
→ What is the correct character count for roller coaster names?
→ "Drunk Seraphina" is our newest regular segment. 
→ We gave the owls a lot of water to drink because it's stupid hot everywhere. 
Main Discussion: Beasts vs. Magical Plants (a very Ravenclaw topic) 
→ Do Dementors poop? 
Newt Case: The Boobrie!
→ Scotland used to have penguins. 

Podcast Question: How do you think Beasts should be classified, and what kinds of magical plants would you like to see? (To poop, or not to poop?)

 

Jun 16, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty:

→ Happy Father’s Day!
→ Phoenix Register: No FaBe related news, but Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure ride is open!
→ Owl Post: Two posts courtesy of our SpeakBeasty Common Room! Fantastic Beasts in Frozen 2? Frozen and Indiana Jones connections
→ Main Discussion: Characters of Color in the Fantastic Beasts series → We explore representation in FaBe, HP, and even Hunger Games!
→ Some say Rowling is the champion of all people of color. Is that really true?
→ Could/should Newt have been cast as a person of color? (Based on Rita Skeeter’s description of his grandson, Rolf?)
→ Analysis of Rowling’s Native American appropriation.
→ Seraphina Picquery mystery SOLVED!!!
→ Time Turner: The origin of coffee!

Podcast Question: How can future Fantastic Beasts installments learn from the missteps and lack of representation in previous wizarding world media, and better serve their characters of color?

Jun 3, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty:

→ Happy summer! Only six more months 'til Christmas.
→ Your feet being uncomfortable can drastically affect your decisions.
→ "Fashion, but make it comfort." 
→ Blood pacts and marriages go hand in hand (wink).
→ “It would be really nice if something made sense for once.”
→ “Queenie isn’t evil, but she drank the Kool-Aid.”
→ Did she drink the tea? And does it matter?
→ “I was rooting for you - we were all rooting for you!”
The Newt Case: Amazon River Dolphins!
→ #SaveThePinkDolphins

Podcast Question: Do you think Queenie's character development between films makes sense, or do you think that we are missing information?

May 19, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...  

→ Join hosts Ariel, Megan, and special guest, Craig!
The Phoenix Register: Fantastic Beasts 3 gets a release date of November 2021. Also, Wizarding World Gold is now a thing.
→ What could they possibly give us that we don’t already have and do we want it?
→ Percies of the world, unite.
→ Could Queenie have been under Grindelwald’s control for longer than we thought?
→ “It’s SpeakBeasty canon, thank you for your time.”
→ What’s the deal with the blood pact?
→ “You know that thing where you touch bloody hands?”
→ “Who knew that Summergirls by LFO was about Dumbledore and Grindelwald the whole time?”
→ Newt is the real mother of dragons.
→ “Oh, you did a blood pact? We do Unbreakable Vows now.”
→ “Let’s just Time Turrner this ish.” This time, we examine what happened on this day in history. 

Podcast Question: How do you think Dumbledore will ultimately break the blood pact? 

May 5, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...

→ Hosts Amy and Elayna are joined by special guest, Chris Rankin!
Harry Potter drag videos, coming soon!
Phoenix Register: You can now tour the subway station from Fantastic Beasts!
→ The New York subway is a terrifying place of mysteries.
→ All birds are valid on this show.
Owl Post: Did Corvus Lestrange live? Also, Jacob is too good for this world.
→ King Aegeus got Aretha Franklin pregnant.
→ Who has the better sibling relationship, Percy or Theseus?
→ Are Percy and Theseus both ambitious in the same way?
→ “Corrupt politicians, what are those?”
→ “They’re both very well dressed.”
The Newt Case: The Gorgons!
→ “Ancient Greek Ancestry.com for the gods.”

Podcast Question: Do you think Theseus will have to make a choice when it comes to his loyalty?

Apr 21, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty:

→ The rainbow pinwheel of death is very misleading.
→ Happy Easter!
→ Could Queenie be believing that Jacob is an exception to the “wizards first” rule?
→ To kill Jacob, or not to kill Jacob?
→ Are the words “coward” and “crazy” gendered (and not in a good way)?
→ We love you, Paris! And we love your Notre Dame.
→ Marjolaine is going to have a coronary when she hears our French. (Sorry, girl.)
→ What parts of Paris featured heavily in the film? What role does Paris play in Crimes of Grindelwald?
→ “And then we all got confused.”
→ How do the first and second films compare in terms of how they use their setting as a part of their story?
→ Do any of these intricate details inform the story of the film? Does it work for an audience uneducated in Paris locales and their history?
→ The Time Turner: Rio de Janeiro in the 1920's!

Podcast Question: What was missing from Paris as a setting? How could the city have been better utilized in the story?

Apr 7, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...

→ Aureo, Megan, and Michael are here!
→ “Sit there and think about what you’ve done.”
→ Pops are a controversial topic,
The Phoenix Register: The COG DVD is killing it. Also, we gotta watch Emma.
Owl Post: Physical cowards vs. moral cowards
→ The world wars and their influence!
→ Nationalism is making everyone nervous.
→ How does Grindelwald’s vision impact our views of “The Greater Good?”
→ Wizards vs. Muggles during WWI and WWII - who has the upper hand?
→ “It amuses me to make allusions to things that are happening in the Muggle world.” - JKR, 2005
→ “He was thwarted again and again by a teenager.”
→ The Deathly Hallows symbol vs. the swastika.
→ “Don’t be racist.”
→ “Dear UK listeners, prevent Brexit.”
The Newt Case: the Taniwha!

Podcast question: What do you think is Rowling’s overall goal with the Fantastic Beasts series as far as it parallels WWII? What messages do you think she’s trying to convey that are different from or build upon Harry Potter

Mar 24, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty:

Dumbledore sucks. Just kidding...he’s just a master manipulator.
Was Dumbledore’s level of trust with Newt comparable to that of Tom Riddle and/or Harry?
Discussing how we’d feel if an old school teacher hit you up for a favor...
When the last movie comes out (in a hundred years), how old will we be? Best answer- 30, flirty, and thriving!
Discussing Dumbledore’s use of and desire for Newt’s “Cinnamon Roll Energy”.
Is Dumbledore the cool dad? Is he still capable of love? Or was he ever truly?
Were Dumbledore and Grindy changed for good...or just The Greater Good?!
Delving into HP/FaBe cross theories of “what if’s” and evil alternate universes.
Bring on Rita Skeeter! She’ll find the necessary “behind the scenes info” we crave!
Newt Case: Leprechauns! Naughty naughty leprechauns...or should it be Leprecorn?
→ Who would win the gold...leprechauns or nifflers?

Podcast Question: Is Dumbledore’s constant manipulation justified?

Mar 12, 2019

An exciting bonus tidbit in which Shannen and Megan break down the deleted scenes that came with the Crimes of Grindelwald DVD and digital download, and discuss whether they affect the film canon.

 

Mar 10, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty...

→ Laine is back!
→ Shameless plug for our social media team. 
→ Aureo does street fighting now. 
→ The Phoenix Register: If you're not listening to our bonus episodes, what are you even doing with your life? Also, FB3 is most likely being pushed to 2021. 
Owl Post: We tend to trust Newt, but is he wrong in some ways about Queenie? Plus, listener Matthew has a theory that Leta isn't dead. 
"The series is getting darker, and so is the podcast." 
→ Our new theme song will be a funeral dirge.
Introducing Hana Walker-Brown and Ravina Bajwar, who came to talk to us about the behind-the-scenes audiobook from Audible and Pottermore!
It's disappointing that Dan isn't actually narrating our lives. 
"The audiobook is meant to be a window into filmmaking." 
We'll get the Beasties on it!
The Time Turner: Nobel Prize winners in 1927!
"We just like to live in the now."
Lizzie is collecting tomatoes and fresh produce, both for Brexit and for throwing. 

Podcast Question: If you could be a pigeon in the rafters on the Fantastic Beasts set, what would you most like to see or overhear?

Feb 24, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty:

→ Happy Palentine’s Day!
→ Listen to our show and forget about the Oscars. 
→ Bonus episode where Amy talks about her day at work. 
→ Owl Post: Sibling guilt is so real. 
→ The power of words!
→ “Coward” has to be a theme for a reason.
→ Queenie being called “crazy” seems to be what pushes her over the edge.
→ “Why couldn’t you have just stayed calm for once, instead of flying off the handle?” 
→ Are there similarities between Snape and Jacob?
→ “HBD to my fave coward, MK.” 
→ “Sign me up for 100 years of therapy.” 
→ “I’d rather be loca than crazy.” 
→ “To quote Hercules…” 
→ The Newt Case: The Chupacabra! #JusticeForAntonio
→ “And there’s your Hamilton connection for today.” 

Podcast Question: What do you think the importance is behind the themes of words like “crazy” and “coward” and their effects in the Wizarding World? 

Feb 10, 2019

This time on SpeakBeasty:

→ We’re so international!
→ Phoenix Register: There will be new beasts in FB3!!!
→ Owl Post: Credence’s queer coding, thanks to our pal Ezra. Plus, MACUSA needs to sort out their priorities.
→ Lizzie’s sister used to flush her head down the loo.
→ Exploring Newt and Theseus’s relationship!
→ Are they hiring for the position of putting freckles on Callum’s face?
→ “Who doesn’t like goats?”
→ “Sometimes you need to go far away from your family.”
→ Will we see more of Theseus?
→ “I killed my brother in the womb.” - Grindelwald
→ Newt Case: The Poukai! (Basically a bird-lion. King of the jungle.)

Podcast Question: How do you think the Goldstein sisters’ relationship is going to change?

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